Orion creates group publicity department

Orion has created a new group publicity department, to be headed by Helen Richardson, who takes on the role of group publicity and communications director.

The new department will comprise of two teams – a non-fiction team led by deputy publicity director Elizabeth Allen, and a fiction team led by deputy publicity director Gaby Young.

The change will also see Rebecca Gray promoted to senior publicity manager, taking on the remit for Weidenfeld & Nicolson fiction. Young and Allen will both report to Richardson, while Gray will report to Young.

Previously Orion operated with two publicity departments, one for Orion Fiction, and one for Orion General.

Richardson, who was publicity director, said: “I am thrilled to be leading the new group publicity department and to take on the new brief of group communications. This is such an exciting time for publicity. We publish a wonderful range of titles and have had a brilliant year in terms of publicity, which has produced a slew of bestsellers across our imprints. I am now looking forward to exploring new opportunities and partnerships in both digital and traditional publicity.”

Richardson, who took responsibility for publicity across the Orion General division in 2012, will report to Orion deputy chief executive and group publisher Malcolm Edwards.

He said: “Many congratulations to Helen on this well-deserved promotion, which completes the realignment of our publicity and marketing teams, as well as giving a stronger unified voice for our communications.”

Orion Fiction’s marketing and publicity director Anthony Keates left the company last year.